


Lonely

by TheKingsJewel (HobbitUnderTheMountain)



Series: Richard & Jules [4]
Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Drabble, F/M, John Proctor - Freeform, Loneliness, The Crucible - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-04-27 15:37:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5054311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HobbitUnderTheMountain/pseuds/TheKingsJewel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard is in London for The Crucible.<br/>Julie is in New York after accepting a job offer of a life time.<br/>How will they cope with the inevitable loneliness that being apart entails?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lonely

** (Part 1/2) **

** **

Julie sighed heavily as she threw herself down on the bed, the unfamiliar mattress and blankets bringing little comfort, and it took a few minutes of readjusting to find a position she could tolerate. She breathed in deeply and frowned at the scent - different from the one she was accustomed to and wrong because of that very reason - it didn't smell like home. It didn't smell like _him_. Sadness tugged at her heart as her mind drifted to the man she'd left back in England, too bogged down with his demanding schedule to be able to come with her, and not for the first time since moving to New York she doubted if she'd made the right choice. Yes, she had a new job, doing something she'd only ever dreamed about before and one that had opened a lot of doors for her career...but she had left behind so much...was it really worth the sacrifice? This was becoming her regular thought process, not helped by the fact that it was _Richard's_ New York flat she was staying in, which meant _everything_ reminded her of him, and although she loved her new job and everything it entailed, she hated being so far away from him.

==========================

When Richard had been cast as John Proctor for The Crucible, he was already somewhat familiar with the character from years ago when he'd played the same role in a school production. But now, many years later, there was so much more to discover about the character, and Richard threw himself in to preparing with every fibre of his being.

He had visited Salem, gained firsthand experience of what it was like to live in those days through some hard manual labour and chores, worked on his physique, and studied everything he could to get a better understanding of the man he was to portray. In the process he'd delved deeper than he'd ever gone with any character before (save maybe Thorin), and soon, Richard Armitage and John Proctor were very nearly the same - _nearly_ , because each night, after every physically demanding and emotionally draining performance, when he'd struggled to separate himself from his character and free his mind of John Proctor, Jules had been there to guide him back from the edge. When he'd woken up in cold sweats after having nightmares in character, shivering and gasping for breath, she had been there - a shining beacon in the darkness - leading him from the murky depths his mind had become and bringing him back to himself. All it took was one touch, one concerned caress, followed by a gentle embrace and her soothing words, and he would easily find his way home, back to her. Now that she was gone, he was having a harder time dealing with the heaviness of such a burdened character. Instead of her warm arms and soft kisses to draw him out of the darkness, he was now welcomed with panic attacks and bouts of vomiting when he awoke from the bad dreams.

They had spent time apart before - in his line of work it was a regular occurrence - but in this instance, this particular project, he’d grown accustomed to having her around. He had no shame in admitting he'd become dependant on her helping him wind down at the end of each night and being his salvation from the tortured soul that his character was. Her absence now was sorely noted.  Their differing time zones and hectic schedules left them few opportunities to talk, and often they would go days with nought but the occasional text to check in with one another. A routine Richard was more than eager to reach the end of - he only had to wait for 6 more weeks, before The Crucible was finished with and he could stop off in New York before the start of the Hobbit pickups and promotional tour. Of course, those 6 weeks felt like a bloody lifetime, and with each day that passed he felt himself slipping further and further into the haunting abyss of John Proctor’s mind.

========

Julie groaned as she slammed the laptop shut and shoved it away from her. Her search for Richard's birthday present had once again been unsuccessful, and with little more than a week to go until the big day she was growing beyond frustrated. Everything she found that was even remotely suitable was either sold out, too expensive, or wouldn't be shipped in time, and it was beginning to take its toll on her patience. She sank back against the couch cushions and rubbed her tired eyes, glancing at the clock on the fireplace that told her it was almost 4pm. As her eyes strayed from the clock to the little ornament of a bear in an aeroplane beside it (a gift from a fan), an idea sprang to mind, and she quickly got up to retrieve her phone. Seeking the right number, she pressed the 'call' button and eagerly awaited an answer.

"Hi Margaret!" she said cheerily, as Richard's mother greeted her, "...I'm fine thank you, are you? Brilliant...listen, I have an idea for Richard’s birthday present, but I’m going to need your help..."


	2. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to upload the second half to this.  
> Apparently juggling a new job, new boyfriend, and a 5 year old leaves little time for much else!  
> Thank you for being so patient, I hope it was worth the wait!

 

 ****The day had finally arrived for Julie to return to England.

She had arranged to fly home for a few days and, together with Richard’s parents, she was to travel to London and surprise him on his birthday. Excitement was an understatement for how she felt, and keeping it from Richard was no easy feat, his spark that continued to fade with each day leaving her desperate to say something in an attempt to lift his spirits. She wished that she could tell him, to give him something to look forward to, but she didn’t want to ruin the surprise, and so she sat patiently through each telephone conversation, silently reassuring herself that soon she could put things right and bring an end to his turmoil.

She arrived on English soil in the mid-morning of the day before Richard’s birthday, and was greeted by Chris, Richard’s brother, who drove her back to their parents house in Leicester. She enjoyed a hearty dinner with Richard’s family, during which everyone caught up with the latest news and gossip, before she spent the afternoon with Abe, Richard’s nephew, who’d recently had a birthday and wanted to show her his new toys.

When Richard had first brought Julie back to Leicester to meet his family, Abe had taken an instant liking to her, her kooky sense of humour and love of silliness playing a key role in his fondness for her. Since then, whenever the family gathered together she was always his first point of interest, which Julie felt quite honoured about.

Chris and his family left early in the evening, and after helping clear up, she had a glass of wine and a chat before bidding John and Margaret good night. She’d not had her phone all day, worried that should Richard check his messages he would see that her activity didn’t match the timezone she should have been in, and so, with a heavy heart at the thought of not replying to his texts and calls, she left it switched off and slipped it in her handbag for the morning.

The journey to London from Leicester was a little over 2 and a half hours, which Julie was certain were the longest 2 and a half hours of her life. Her excitement to see Richard grew with each minute that ticked by, the impatience gnawing at her stomach. Because she was planning on surprising Richard that night, after his performance, Julie was dropped off at the flat, arranging to meet with John and Margaret later for dinner, before waving them off as they drove away to meet Richard for lunch. The flat had not changed much since she’d been there, Julie observed, as she walked along the hallway towards their bedroom. The place looked barely lived in save for the small pile of washing in the corner, which she instinctively gathered up and took through to the washing machine, setting it to wash and looking around for anything else that needed doing. She had some time to kill, and since she had a few ideas of how to spruce up the place before Richard returned, she didn’t waste a minute of it.

By the time it came to meeting John and Margaret for dinner, Jules had everything prepared for Richard’s return that evening. She’d whipped up a batch of his favourite cupcakes and decorated each of them with a letter so that they spelled out ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY’, set out scented candles through the hallway leading to the bedroom, along with a trail of rose petals, so that when he returned he would follow them and find her waiting for him with a bottle of champagne and his birthday cakes. She’d also bought new lingerie - a black chemise with matching underwear - along with a pair of novelty “happy birthday” sunglasses that she just knew Richard would find hilarious, especially coupled with the sexy lingerie. She changed into a dark red skater dress with black leggings before heading out to meet John and Margaret. During dinner, they talked about how their lunch with Richard went, filling Jules in on their conversation with him and how he was holding up, before it was time for them to go back to the theatre for the evening performance and for Jules to return to the flat and lie in wait. She took a shower and dried and styled her hair, applying minimal makeup to match her garments for the evening, then she set everything out in the bedroom - cakes, glasses, champagne - and spent the rest of the evening catching up on emails and killing time until Richard came home.

Half an hour before midnight, she received a text from John to say that Richard was on his way, and Jules was certain that her heart would burst from her chest for excitement. She hurriedly lit the candles and turned off the lights, returning to the bedroom where she sat propped against the pillows in as sensual a pose she could manage, considering she was wearing novelty glasses. Her skin prickled with excitement when she heard the key in the lock, her heart hammering in her ears, and when she heard the familiar creak of the door hinges, followed by the click of the latch as it closed, time itself seemed to stand still.

 

 

At first, Richard failed to comprehend what was going on, too taken aback by the unexpected sight that greeted him upon his return, but as he followed the trail along the hallway he started to piece it together, though he dare not get his hopes up in fear it was just some trick. When he rounded the corner leading into the bedroom his breath hitched in his throat, a lump forming there as he set his eyes upon the bed.

“Welcome home, birthday boy,”

There she was, Julie, his beloved Julie, laying on the bed in naught but her lingerie, looking as delicious and inviting as ever, even with the novelty sunglasses she was wearing! Richard chuckled at that, his heart filled with love and adoration for her quirky sense of humour, and she moved to kneel at the edge of the bed, taking off the glasses and beckoning him to her with her eyes. Without a word, Richard crossed the room in 3 long strides, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“Happy Birthday,” she cooed, her voice thick with emotion as she snaked her arms around his neck, “I hope you like your present,” she winked at that, a smirk pulling at both their lips before Richard pulled her to him and kissed her as though his very life depended on it, and in a way he supposed it did.

 

 

Nothing else in the world mattered, as they gave in to their needs and spent the night making up for all they had missed. All the torment of loneliness they'd felt over the last few months simply melted away, no longer significant as they indulged in their hearts desires. Hours later, as they lay down to go to sleep, they shared one last tender kiss and looked deep into each others eyes. Not a word was spoken, for it was clear that each of them shared the same thoughts.

They were happy, and content.

Finally back in each other's arms, right where they belonged.

Finally, _they were home_.

**Author's Note:**

> In regards to Julie's new job, ideas are still formulating as to what it might be so you'll just have to imagine something spectacular for this one! ;)


End file.
